Rejected by the Lycan king

CHAPTER 4: RAFAEL

Her shoulders are shaking in anger, little puffs of air escaping her nostrils and lifting wayward strands of her hair up into the air. I’m mesmerized. Held captive by this fragile but defiant beauty right in front of me.

“You’ll have to forgive me, My King. And my parents.”

I admit, I was annoyed when Alexander told me about the maids’ whisperings. I was going to get the Voss Family’s spare, the rumored unwanted daughter of the pack.

Granted, hearing about Dahlia Voss didn’t incite any feelings even before I accepted Kieran’s marriage deal. It was the prospect of finally being done with my cabinet’s scheme to get me hitched that pushed me into welcoming Kieran’s froward plans for his family. And also for my own personal reasons.

And now this, throwing away his lesser daughter because I’m too, what? Cruel to handle their beloved child? I don’t know what to be more angry at.

“It’s Rafael, Ophelia.”

My head is beginning to hurt. Being in her presence makes my wolf restless. He can’t smell her, this woman that is now supposedly ours. It’s messing with his senses – and mine, as well.

“Please, don’t punish my family for my insistence to wed you. My sister is so precious to me, and I’ll admit, the rumors going on about you swayed my father’s news and caused me to offer myself up willingly. It wasn’t a switch or an act of deceit. My father saw it as the uttermost devotion to you, his daughter, who eagerly accepted the Lycan King as hers.”

I’m humored by her spiel. She hasn’t said much since I met her and, yet, she was lying for her family. Loyalty was a strong concept to her. But in this instance, it was misplaced. I was aware that her family had forced her into marriage with me – the unwanted daughter being made to wed the cruel King. I could almost laugh at that.

But first,

“What would you do for me?” Her eyes snap up at me, confusion lining her brows. “If I was to cover up this deception, completely overlook your family’s blatant disrespect of my intellect. What would I get in return?”

I can see that my request shocks her, like she expects me to forgive her family simply because she asked. I wouldn’t. Business is business and I always loved putting defaulters in their place. Despite immediately being captured by her, I wouldn’t let go of my principles. Unless she gives me something to tame the repercussions.

“Anything you ask of me, Alpha.”

My skin heats as she basically gives me free rein over her. “That’s too much ammunition to give someone over you, Little Dove.”

“If it’ll prove my devotion to you and remove any doubts you might be harboring about my family’s loyalty to you, then yes. It’s enough ammunition that I’m freely giving. To you.”

I consider her words for a moment, trying to place where her sense of devotion for these people stems from. I’ve heard the talks about Alpha Kieran’s illegitimate child. The deficit one. The mistake. Made to work like a regular servant in her own father’s house. Wolf less. Ugly.

The last was furthest from the truth. Her face was oval-shaped, dainty features bringing out a sort of elfish and serene beauty to her. Her lips were stained red, her lashes thick and long, with eyes that were the lushest green. Yes, the rumors about her weren’t all true.

“You’ll submit wholly and completely to me. No one should be aware of this transaction, that I’m hiding your parents’ faults – or it’ll make me look weak.” She nods eagerly at this, her eyes trained on me.

“Whenever I call you, you come running. When I demand silence from you, you pretend like your lips are nonexistent. And if I ask you to kneel – “ My voice trails off as her eyelids become heavy, her gaze flitting down till they brush the tips of my shoes.

“You kneel. You now belong to me, without question. Marriage or not.”

“You plan on backing out?” I’m not expecting her frazzled question. Her eyes look wild as she tracks my pacing. “You can’t call it off, Rafael.”

I’m pleased to hear my name on her lips, but I jerk myself back to the present, gripping her chin and lifting her face to me.

“I’m never letting you go, Dove. And if I have to get married to you to seal that for everyone else, I’ll do so. You now belong to me.”

She’s nodding quickly, a light sheen in her eyes. Annoyed, I step away from her roughly, turning away and facing the large desk in the study.

“Rafael, thank you. I – “ There’s a knock on the door, and she stops mid-speech. Whoever it is doesn’t wait for my allowance and instead, pushes in the door. My nose flares at my brother’s interruption, hating the way his gaze lingers too long on Ophelia before coming to meet mine. I scowl.

“Alpha Kieran reminds us that there are still a few legalities to be dealt with.” What he’s actually saying is that I’m spending too much time with his daughter. Alone.

I try not to let Xander see my annoyance, smiling tightly at Ophelia. “You can head out now, Ophelia.”

She’s by the door when I catch Xander’s questioning look. I interject before she’s gone, just so she’ll know that there’s no room for spilling this secret.

“And remember, Ophelia. Just between us two.”

She seems to get it, her eyes widening marginally as she proceeds to hurry out of the room. Xander grunts once she’s out of the room, giving me a black look.

“Tell me you dealt with the problem, and you’re actually getting married to the right sister.”

“It doesn’t matter, Xan. Either way, we’re still going forward with the plan.” We’re still going to make the Voss Family pay.